With the praise will come the critique, especially from those whowill not offer a solution,
are engaged in the oldest of traditions, and
believe their rituals are the only way.

Reality is that outside of a small number of men,
we get no hatred,
no vitriol emails, and
few to no trolling comments online.

This discovery does not make me better than those few men who speak their disagreements.
This discovery simply opens the door to help me consider WHY and WHERE they come from,
… to consider how to engage that particular person;
… to do so without losing my own voice and being; and
… through authenticity that is filled with love, compassion, and respect for all.

Why do the “few” who speak out with disagreement matter to me?
Because I choose to believe they matter.
I ask people to treat each person as someone who deserves
the basic dignity and respect of a fellow human being.

“Each person” means those who agree and those who disagree with me.

Regardless of how you view me or my words, I stand for YOU.
Your words may stagger me.
I will stand for you.
I will work harder to find a way to engage you, to connect with you,
and to hear you.

While standing for you, I will stand for all, including myself.

Sometimes I will fail. I will catch myself reacting with
an energy that does not lead with love and compassion.
I will acknowledge that moment and commit to finding a better way
going forward.

For each day the journey to stand for dignity and respect starts anew.